Does My Cat Have Separation Anxiety?

If your cat is peeing on the bed or scratching up your furniture, it could be a sign he has separation anxiety.

Are you frustrated when you come home to find that your cat has peed on your bed and shredded your favorite chair? Do the neighbors complain that he yowls all day? While there can be underlying medical conditions behind many of these behaviors, you might be surprised to learn there’s a chance your cat has developed a fear-related condition called separation anxiety.

Most people don’t associate cats and separation anxiety. After all, cats are supposed to be loners, the perfect pets to stay home alone all day or over the weekend when you take a quick trip away — even for weeks at a time while you’re on vacation, with only a daily visit from a pet sitter to leave out food and scoop the litterbox.

Kittens who were orphaned or weaned at an early age may be prone to separation anxiety. A divorce, death of an owner or some other change in the household may also trigger separation anxiety, especially in the case of a senior cat.

Signs of Distress

Cats with separation anxiety may express their apprehension over an owner’s absence in destructive or annoying ways. They often scratch furniture, pace, cry, fight with other cats, refuse to eat or groom themselves compulsively, licking or chewing at their fur until they have big bald patches. Others sulk or become depressed. Worse, some cats start to pee or poop outside the litterbox or spray urine on their owner’s bed or clothing.

What the heck is that all about? Oddly enough, spreading his scent around that way may help the cat feel more secure. Mixing his own odor with that of his beloved — and missing — owner is a way for him to feel closer to that person. Before you blow your top about it, try to remember that your cat is paying you a compliment — an unwelcome one but still a compliment.